


I Still Believe in You

by 4thofFive



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-29 07:42:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5120444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4thofFive/pseuds/4thofFive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is so wrapped up in his own problems he lets Danny down during the most crucial fight of Danny's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Still Believe in You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [For Markinmi1 who asked for it.](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=For+Markinmi1+who+asked+for+it.).



> This was written during the season 2 haitus where we knew Steve's mom was alive but nothing else about her.
> 
> I did warn you there would be a deluge of my old stories for a while.

Danny stood at the bottom of the courthouse steps in the bright morning sunshine. He shifted nervously from foot to foot looking up and down the street in both directions trying to catch sight of Steve’s truck. 

Today was probably the most important day of his life – the day that would determine Grace’s future as well as his own.

Danny’s lawyer had suggested the detective ask several of his friends to be character witnesses for him in his fight for shared custody of Grace, and Steve was to be the first witness. As Danny’s best friend and partner, and Grace’s honourary uncle, Steve was a huge part of Danny’s life and had a better insight into Danny and the detective’s devotion to his daughter than anyone.

The two friends had discussed the Commander’s testimony yesterday morning at work, and the SEAL promised he would be at the courthouse early to lend moral support to Danny before he had to testify.

The blond detective hit the speed dial number for Steve’s phone once again, but once again it went to voice mail. He checked the clock on his iPhone nervously. The case was supposed to start in 10 minutes. Where the hell was his partner? Danny’s stomach did a small flip of worry. Had something happened to Steve?

Danny sighed and chewed his bottom lip nervously.

The detective dialed Catherine’s number next. The former Navy Lieutenant had joined Five-0 a month ago as their research and technical expert and had, not surprisingly, been spending a great deal of time with Steve. Danny knew she had her own apartment but suspected she spent most of her off duty time at Steve’s beachfront home. He didn’t know that for sure since he himself hadn’t been to Steve’s house after work for a couple of weeks – the invitations seemed to have dried up – but the way the two lovers talked at work, he supposed Catherine was in Steve’s bed most every night.

On the one hand, Danny was glad Steve had Cath in his life full-time now since the SEAL was reeling from discovering his mother was still alive and living in Japan. But having Cath around also meant that she and Steve spent most of their off duty time together, and he and Danny hadn’t hung out as much as they’d used to. With his worry about his custody battle for Grace, Danny could have used more of the help and support of his best friend, but it was obvious that with all that was going on in his own life, Steve wasn’t in a position to help anyone right now.

Danny jumped slightly when a warm, heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to find Chin standing on a step above looking down at him sympathetically.

“Your lawyer wants you to come back to the court room now. He doesn’t want you to be late.”

Danny’s shoulders slumped slightly in defeat.

“But Steve’s not here yet.”

The older detective shook his head regretfully.

“Mr. Nakamura said he’ll move Steve to the end of the witness list and hope he gets here in time. It’s all he can do.”

Danny sighed and ran a nervous hand through his hair before nodding.

“Yeah…ok. Let’s go then.”

The two men climbed the courthouse steps and as Chin opened the door for his friend, Danny took one last look up and down the street for his partner before entering the cool foyer of the courthouse.

**********

Catherine opened Steve’s front door in the early afternoon to find Chin standing on the porch dressed in his best suit.

“Hi Chin,” the former Navy officer greeted him solemnly. “I’m sure you’re here to see Steve but if it’s not important, I’d rather you left him alone today. He’s been quite upset. He had an argument with his mother this morning and I didn’t think it would be a good idea for him to go into work today in the state he’s in.”

Chin gave the young woman a cool, considering look.

“It is important Catherine and I would like to see him…now please,” the Hawaiian detective responded firmly.

The young woman looked ready to argue but, belatedly remembering that Chin outranked her, nodded once then stood back from the door to let him enter.

“He’s out back,” she responded with obvious reluctance.

Chin walked briskly through the house then out the back door onto the lanai. He stopped long enough to take off his dress shoes and socks and roll up his pant legs before walking down the beach to where Steve was sprawled in one of the deck chairs staring moodily at the surf.

The SEAL looked up when the older man stopped beside his chair.

“Hey Chin,” Steve barely lifted his hand in acknowledgement of the Hawaiian detective. “Everything ok? Sorry I didn’t come into work today. Hopefully you got the message on the answering system.”

Chin shook his head firmly.

“No, we didn’t actually get that message because none of us were in the office this morning.”

Steve sat up abruptly in the chair and turned to face Chin, his body tense with anger.

“What? No one was at work? What the hell?”

Chin’s jaw tightened noticeably as his eyes flashed with anger.

“We weren’t at the office because we were at the courthouse with Danny, where YOU were supposed to be,” he snapped.

The Hawaiian detective felt his anger cool slightly as he watched the blood drain from Steve’s face and the younger man’s jaw drop open in horror. Steve climbed unsteadily to his feet.

“The hearing,” the SEAL whispered hoarsely. “Oh my God, the custody hearing was today.”

“Yeah,” Chin confirmed softly.

Steve slapped his hands over his face and dropped his chin to his chest.

“Oh God, I forgot. I can’t believe I forgot.” 

His hands fell away and as he looked back up at the older man, Chin could see tears in his friend’s eyes.

“Danno…” Steve swallowed heavily. “He must hate my guts.”

Chin glanced away nervously. He wasn’t used to seeing this amount of emotion from the usually stoic SEAL.

“He’s…upset, yes.”

Steve skirted around the chair and began jogging towards the house. 

“Steve, where are you going?” Chin called after him as he followed behind.

“I need to go to Danny’s apartment,” Steve replied as he hurried up the stairs to the lanai. “I need to apologize to him.”

“No!” cried Chin putting on speed to intercept the other man. He was able to grab Steve by the bicep just as the younger man burst into the kitchen. “He’s with Grace right now. Leave him, ok? He’s tired and drained after this morning’s hearing. Please, just let him have his time with Grace.”

Steve spun around wrenching Chin’s hand away, glaring at the older man and looking like he was ready to lash out.

“I need to talk to him. I need to make him understand; to apologize!”

“Goddamn it, Steve, listen to me!” the usually implacable Hawaiian detective shouted. “He needs time ok? He’s upset and overwrought. Things didn’t go all that well this morning. He needs his time with Grace without you bringing more drama into this situation.”

Chin took a step closer to his boss and grabbed his arm again in a grip just this side of painful.

“Leave him alone. At least for today, leave him alone,” he growled.

Steve deflated like a balloon and moved like a 90-year-old man to a nearby kitchen chair and sank into it. After a pause, Chin walked over to sit down across from him. Catherine, who had been watching the scene from the entrance way to the living room, wisely said nothing and quietly went up the stairs leaving the two men alone.

Steve dropped his head in his hands and for several minutes the only sound in the room was his ragged breathing.

“I had an argument with my mother this morning,” he said finally. “She keeps trying to coax me to come and see her even though I can’t stand the idea of looking at her after what she did to Mary and me. I was upset after I hung up with her then 15 minutes later Joe called and gave me hell for not being a better son and not understanding why my mother did what she did.”

Steve looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, to meet Chin’s sympathetic gaze.

“Cath felt that I shouldn’t go to work in the emotional state I was in and…well we argued about it but I finally gave in. I couldn’t fight with anyone anymore.”

Steve pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and shook his head slowly.

“I forgot. God help me I forgot about the hearing. I just…”

The Commander fisted his hands in his hair and dropped his elbows heavily to the table.

“The one thing he asked of me – the most important thing he’s ever asked of me – and I failed him.” 

The younger man’s voice cracked and broke and he pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes and shuddered. Chin reached across the table and wrapped his hand gently around the SEAL’s forearm.

“Steve…” Chin cast about in his mind for something to say to comfort the other man. He certainly couldn’t insist that everything would be ok, and that Danny would forgive him, because he wasn’t sure the Jersey native could forgive Steve for letting him down like this.

“Just…try to get some sleep tonight and talk to Danny tomorrow, ok? You’ll fix this. You and Danny are best friends. I’m sure you’ll find a way to fix this.”

**********

Steve was nervous as hell as he knocked on Danny’s apartment door the next morning. He couldn’t remember ever being this nervous, even when he entered Annapolis for the first time. The Commander felt deep inside that this was a make or break moment in his friendship with Danny and he didn’t want to fuck it up.

The door opened and a rumpled, disheveled Danny stood in the gloom of the darkened apartment looking up at Steve coldly.

“Steve,” Danny’s voice was flat and emotionless, and that scared Steve more than anything.

“Danny, I need to talk to you,” Steve pleaded, his hands clutched in front of him. “I need to try to explain.”

Danny shrugged and stepped back from the doorway sweeping his hand into the room in invitation.

Steve stepped into the apartment and his partner shut the door behind him. All the blinds in the room were closed and a number of empty beer bottles were scattered on the table and lying on the floor. The TV was on but muted, and the couch was covered with a balled up blanket. It was obvious Danny had slept there rather than in his own bed last night.

Steve turned to look at his friend who looked up at him impassively for a moment before turning away to walk into the open plan kitchen.

“Coffee?” Danny called over his shoulder.

“Umm…no, thanks,” Steve replied. His stomach was in knots made worse by Danny’s chilly, unnaturally calm demeanor.

“Danny, listen to me…” Steve began as Danny poured himself a cup of coffee then turned around to lean against the kitchen counter and sip from the cup thoughtfully. “I just want to say that--”

“Last night if I hadn’t had Gracie I would have come over to your house and beat the living shit out of you,” Danny interrupted calmly.

“I wouldn’t have blamed you if you did,” said Steve, his voice hoarse with emotion. “In fact I don’t understand why you’re not doing that now.”

The blond man smirked coldly and shook his head.

“No, I’m not going to do that because I realized it would be too easy. I’d beat you up, you’d let me and then you’d think that all was well, that we’d worked out our problems like two tough guys and now we can carry on as usual.”

“I wouldn’t…” Steve tried to interrupt but Danny put a hand up to stop him.

“I had a lot of time to think last night after I took Gracie back to her mother’s,” Danny continued putting his coffee cup down firmly on the countertop before crossing his arms tightly on his chest.

“After I calmed down and finally realized I didn’t want to kill you I had an epiphany of sorts. I realized that you do care about me and Grace and that you want to help me, but you’re too overwhelmed with your own problems to be of any use to me right now.”

Steve took a step closer, his hands out in supplication.

“Danny, please--”

“And the thing is,” the detective continued as if Steve hadn’t spoken, “normally I’d be right there with you, talking to you, yelling at you, trying to comfort you, trying to help you deal with your problems.”

Danny let out a mirthless laugh and shook his head.

“I feel like I’ve spent the last year chasing you around with a net trying to keep you from doing stupid things. First there was the shit with the murder of the Governor and your escape from jail. Then there was the trip to Korea, and then you disappear for weeks with only a note left behind and no phone calls.”

Danny ran a shaking hand through his hair before looking up at Steve with wet eyes.

“I can’t do this anymore, babe,” he whispered, “I’m in the fight of my life for my baby girl and I can’t be worried about you and your problems. I know that sounds terrible to say, but I need to concentrate on Grace and my custody battle for her. If I lose her I lose everything, you know that.”

Danny pushed up away from the counter and walked over to Steve until they were only inches apart.

“You’re my best friend Steve, and I love you. I’ll always be here for you if you get in really serious trouble, but right now I need to be away from you and your issues, at least for a few months. I can’t handle what’s going on with you and my custody battle as well. I just can’t. I’m not strong enough.”

“W-what does that mean?” Steve asked, fear clenching in his chest, “are you leaving?”

Danny nodded as he blinked rapidly against the tears that were pooling in his eyes.

“I’m not leaving Oahu, but I’ve requested a leave from Five-0 and the Governor has granted it. I talked to Chief Makaha at HPD and he’s given me a six month secondment to take over for Lieutenant Pali while she’s on maternity leave. It’s a largely administrative job in headquarters and it’s going to be boring as fuck, but it’s 9 to 5 with weekends off and it will give me the time and space I need to really concentrate on winning my battle with Rachel and keeping Grace on the island.”

Steve swallowed convulsively for a moment before he could speak.

“Danny, I don’t want you to leave Five-0. We can work something out. I can make sure you get the time off you need--”

Danny put up a hand and laid it flat on Steve’s chest while he shook his head vigorously.

“No, babe. It won’t work. You and I both know it. You need someone who can devote themselves to the team full-time and isn’t distracted, and I need to get away from – well from everything – for a while. I wouldn’t be a good team member while this is going on, and god knows I can’t be the kind of friend you need right now.”

Steve took a shuddering breath and covered his face with his hands.

“Jesus,” he whispered brokenly. “I fucked everything up. I lost the best friend I ever had--”

Danny grabbed Steve’s hands by the wrists and pulled them away from his stricken face forcing the taller man to look at him.

“You haven’t lost me babe. I’m still your friend and I still care about you. But I can’t be the friend you need right now. You have all this shit going on with your mother and with Joe and I can’t help you and quite frankly, you can’t help me. I needed you yesterday and you weren’t there for me. I know you feel bad about that Steve, but that doesn’t make it better.”

Steve stood staring at his friend as a tear escaped from one eye and rolled down his cheek.

“I’m so sorry, Danny. I’m so sorry I let you down, and I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me most.”

The blond detective gave his partner a small, sad smile.

“I know babe, and I’m sorry I have to pull away for a while. But it’s the right thing to do. I’ll phone you once in a while to see how you’re doing, and I’ll make sure you talk to Gracie too, ok?”

Steve pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and dropped his eyes to the floor nodding once.

“Yeah, OK.”

Danny put a warm hand on Steve’s cheek and gave it a pat before pulling it away.

“I’m glad Catherine is here to look after you. I’d hate the idea of no one watching over you.”

“But you’re my partner,” Steve replied in a strangled voice, his chin quivering as he fought back tears.

Danny nodded and took a step back away from his friend.

“Not for the next six months. After that we’ll see. In any case, I’ll always be your friend.”

Steve looked over at his best friend and partner with teeming eyes.

“I’m sorry, Danny,” he whispered.

Danny nodded and averted his gaze from the devastation on his friend’s face.

“I know you are babe. I know but…can you go now? Please? I need you to leave now.”

Steve stood frozen to the floor for a moment before surging forward and wrapping Danny in a nearly bone-crushing hug. He held his best friend for a moment before releasing him and walking quickly out of the kitchen. He strode to the front door of the apartment and opened it. His tall body blocked the bright morning sunshine for a moment before he closed the door behind him and was gone.

 

*****

“Why, it’s acting Lieutenant Daniel Williams I believe!”

Danny looked up from the shit load of paperwork he was doing and grinned as Kono Kalakaua stood in the doorway of his temporary office in HPD smiling at him in a way that made his heart clench with sudden loneliness.

“Why Officer Kalakaua! Shouldn’t you be saluting me?”

Danny stood up and came around the desk to share a hug with the young officer before taking a step back to give her a quick scan for any signs of new bruises or cuts. It didn’t matter where he worked, he still fretted over the health of his Five-0 ohana.

Kono reached out and slapped her friend gently on one arm.

“Salute you? I should be giving you a roundhouse kick for leaving Five-0 the way you did.”

The smile faded from Danny’s face.

“Kono, I explained that. You know why…”

The Hawaiian officer waved a hand dismissively and nodded.

“Yes, I know Danny, and I do understand, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Nothing’s the same without you and everyone’s miserable, especially Steve.”

Danny gave a small, pained smile.

“He’s got Catherine.”

Kono stepped up to Danny and grabbed him by the tie, which he’d begun wearing again for his HPD job – mainly to piss people off.

“She’s not you, Danny,” she replied forcefully giving the tie a tug. “He needs you. Those two may love each other but they’re not in love with each other. And as much as she’s trying to help him, you’re Steve’s best friend and you’re the one he turns to when he’s in trouble.”

“Kono…”

The young woman shook her head and dropped Danny’s tie to pull him into another hug.

“I know. I do understand why you did what you did, really. I just…I miss you so much. We all do.”

Danny wrapped his arms around his friend’s shoulders and returned the hug.

“I miss you guys too,” he replied hoarsely.

**********

“Danno?”

“Yeah Monkey?”

“Umm…if I have to move to Las Vegas with Mommy and Stan…you don’t have to come with me.”

Danny turned from the pot of spaghetti sauce he was cooking to look at his daughter in shock. Grace sat on the floor by the coffee table colouring a picture for a history assignment. The way she refused to meet his eyes told him something was up.

The detective set down the wooden spoon he’d been using to stir the sauce and turned the heat off under the pot. He walked into the living room, sat down on the couch and patted his lap.

“Come here, baby.”

Grace hesitated for a fraction of a second before she climbed to her feet and into her father’s lap. She buried her face in his neck and clutched the front of his tee shirt with her fingers as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Grace, what do you mean by that?”

The child shrugged and mumbled something that was muffled by his shirt.

Danny pulled her gently away so that he could look into her face.

“What did you say?” Danny prompted gently.

Grace swallowed heavily and her bottom lip quivered.

“I said…I know you’re happy here and you’ve got Uncle Steve and Aunt Kono and Uncle Chin and…everyone. You like it here so you don’t have to come if I have to move to Las Vegas ‘cause I don’t want you to be sad again like you were when you moved here.”

The small child buried her face in her father’s shirt and he could feel her slight body trembling.

“Baby,” Danny asked carefully, “did Mommy tell you to say that?”

Grace lifted her tear-streaked face to meet her father’s eyes and shook her head firmly.

“No, Danno, I promise. I was thinking about it last night in bed and I thought it would be mean of me to ask you to come to Las Vegas when you’re happy here and you’ve got your friends and stuff. And I was thinking that Las Vegas isn’t as far away as Newark so I could come and visit you regularly and you could come and visit me and…stuff.”

Danny wrapped his arms around his baby girl again and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

“Baby, it’s sweet of you to tell me that and to want me to be happy, but I could never be happy living apart from you. Never.”

“But…”

Danny lifted his daughter’s chin with the tips of his fingers so that she was looking up at him.

“Grace, I’m your Daddy. I will stay with you and look after you and protect and love you until you’re old enough to take care of yourself. Even then – even when you’re 60 years old and I’m 85 and walking with two canes – I will still be here for you and I will still be your daddy ok? Nothing is more important to me. I don’t care if Mommy and Stan drag you to Timbuktu, I’ll be there with you. And as long as I’m where you are, I’ll be happy. I promise.”

The relieved smile that spread across Grace’s face almost broke Danny and he wrapped his arms more firmly around her.

“Monkey, try not to worry about anything ok? Nothing has been decided yet and Mommy, Stan and I might still work something out.”

“Will I be able to stay in Hawaii?” the child asked quietly. “I want to. I like it here.”

Danny sighed and he once again rested his cheek on the top of her head.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. That’s why we went to the judge. But no matter what happens, we will still be together ok?”

He felt Grace nod under his cheek.

“OK, Danno. I love you.”

Danny pulled his lips into a tight line as he swallowed convulsively several times before he could speak.

“I love you too, baby.” He straightened up and forced himself to smile down at her. “Now, I’d better get up and finish cooking dinner before I ruin Grandma’s famous spaghetti sauce.”

**********

“St-Steve?”

“Danno? What’s wrong? What happened, are you ok?”

Steve heard a muffled sob from the other end of the phone and his heart skipped a beat in terror.

“Danny? Talk to me, babe. Tell me what’s wrong? Is it Grace? Is she ok?”

“No, it’s not…she’s fine it’s just…I got the judge’s decision today.”

Steve clutched the phone and sat down heavily in his office chair. This was the call he’d been dreading.

“Oh god,” he whispered, “we lost.”

“No!” Danny blurted out, his voice gaining strength. “We didn’t, we didn’t lose Steve. We won. I won. The judge has granted me shared custody of my baby. He says…” Danny choked on another sob and took a shaking breath before he could speak again. “He says I have as much right to make decisions about my daughter’s future as Rachel does. He gave Stan and Rachel hell for trying to take her away again. He says they can’t take her to Las Vegas without my permission, and I won’t give them permission. She’s not going Steve. I’m not going.”

Steve covered his eyes with one hand as he struggled to fight back his own tears. It wasn’t until this moment that he realized how terrified he was of losing his best friend and honourary niece.

“Steve? Are you still there?”

Steve cleared his throat loudly.

“Yeah, buddy. Yeah, I’m still here,” he ground out. “Congratulations Danny. This is the best news I’ve had since…I don’t know when.”

Steve barked out a near hysterical laugh and Danny joined in.

“I wanted you to be the first to know, Steve,” Danny continued, his voice sounding lighter and happier than Steve had ever heard it. “I haven’t even called my parents yet. I wanted you to know first.”

Steve swallowed and wiped an errant tear from his face.

“Thank you, Danny. Thank you for sharing your news with me first. I’m so thrilled for you partner.”

Danny let out a huge, relieved sigh.

“Thanks babe. I don’t know what I would have done if…” there was a long pause before Danny spoke again, this time his voice was hesitant.

“Steve, I know I probably don’t have any right to say this but, these last few months, fighting to stay in Grace’s life, made me understand the lengths parents will go to for their children.”

“Danny….” Steve warned and the detective knew he was treading into painful territory for the SEAL but he pressed on.

“Just hear me out babe, ok? I, I just want to say that I understand how you feel about your mother – why you’re mad at her. I won’t make excuses for her. As a parent I’m not sure I’ll ever understand her decision to pretend to die rather than take you into hiding with her. But what I do know is that she obviously loved you and Mary very much, and she must have thought she was doing the right thing.”

Danny sighed and hurried on before Steve got mad and hung up on him.

“I just…I want you to think about that. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance to build my life with my baby. I would hate to see you lose the chance to rebuild your life with your mother.”

**********

Danny strode into his office at HPD, picked up the phone, and immediately dialed the phone number that he’d known off by heart for over two years.

“McGarrett,” the man on the other end of the line growled with his usual appalling lack of manners.

“Steven,” Danny ground out through his clenched teeth.

“Oh, hey Danny. How are you?” Steve’s voice lightened immediately.

“Is there something you want to tell me, Steven?” Danny demanded, refusing to get sidetracked by niceties.

There was a brief pause.

“N-no. I don’t think so.”

“Something about $8,000?” Danny prompted with fading patience.

“$8,000?” Steve repeated with ridiculously fake innocence. “Not sure what you’re talking about Danno.

The detective rolled his eyes. Busted. He really had no idea how Steve ever got into Naval Intelligence. The man was the worst fucking liar.

“No? Well I’ll elucidate then,” Danny continued sarcastically, ignoring Steve’s snort at the multi-syllable word. “I happened to go to my lawyer’s office today to pay my legal fees for my custody battle and low and behold, the receptionist told me I didn’t have to pay the fee because it had already been paid!”

“Oh? Isn’t that a nice stroke of luck.” Steve replied lightly. 

“Steven!” Danny snapped at his friend over the phone. “You are NOT paying my legal fees!”

“Danny--”

“Steve!”

“Danny! Shut up and listen for a moment ok. I’ve been looking for a way to help and this was the only thing I could think of.”

“Goddamn it Steve, I don’t need your help!”

“Danny please,” Steve pleaded, his voice sounding strained and just a little unsteady. “I want to do this. I let you down three months ago. I wasn’t there when you needed me--”

“Steve,” Danny replied softly as he rubbed a hand over his face. “I already told you I forgive you for that. Let it go.”

“No, I can’t. I know you’ve forgiven me but I haven’t forgiven myself. I need to do something, to somehow make up for what I did.”

Danny sighed and shook his head.

“But $8,000 Steve.”

“Buddy, I can afford it. You know I got the house mortgage-free, and I’ve saved most of my Navy pay since I never had enough time off to spend it. This isn’t a hardship for me and it would really make me feel better if you’d take it. Please Danno.”

“Steve…” Danny sighed out the name. “Babe, are you sure? This is overly generous.”

Danny didn’t have to see his best friend to know the SEAL’s face had broken into a happy smile.

“I’m sure, Danny. I want to do this. Please let me.”

Danny felt a lump growing in his throat and he rubbed his eyes with one hand.

“Thank you, babe.”

 

**********

 

Danny walked out of the coffee shop and stumbled as he swerved to avoid a young woman who almost crashed into him. He looked up and smiled when he realized it was Catherine.

“Danny!” Cath cried happily, coming up on tip toes to give him a kiss on the cheek.

“Hey Cath, how are you? You look terrific.”

The Five-0 analyst blushed and looked away shyly before meeting his gaze again.

“I’m doing well. I think island life agrees with me which shocks the hell out of me actually because I didn’t think I’d ever be able to settle in one place.”

Danny returned her smile and reached out to cup her elbow with his hand.

“Well I’m glad for you. And I’m glad for Steve too. It’s great for him to have you here.”

Catherine’s smile faded slightly and she looked away.

“Oh, I thought Steve would have told you, we’re not seeing each other anymore.”

Danny’s heart lurched in his chest at the news. Steve hadn’t mentioned it, but then the two friends hadn’t talked in a while. 

“Oh Cath…”

Catherine looked up again must have seen the anxiety on his face because she shook her head and placed a warm hand on his arm.

“No, it’s ok Danny. It was a mutual decision. We both realized that while we cared about each other, we’re not meant to be together. Besides, it’s too weird being in a relationship when he’s my boss. I don’t like having to obey my boyfriend.”

Catherine shrugged slightly and looked a bit apologetic.

“To be honest with you, I think we both knew a long time ago it wasn’t going to work out, but he was so emotionally fragile and I was new here and didn’t have any friends and we were just so…comfortable with each other I guess. But it’s better this way, honestly, and we’re still very good friends.”

Danny breathed out a sigh of relief. He loved both Steve and Cath and wanted them to be happy.

“Is he ok?” Danny asked quietly. He and Steve spoke on the phone every couple of weeks and Steve had come to Gracie’s school play several weeks ago, but besides that, the SEAL had kept his promise to give Danny the space he needed.

Catherine smiled at Danny and nodded.

“He’s doing much better Danny. I think what happened between the two of you really forced him to face his problems and deal with them. He told me he never wants to let down his friends again. In fact, he and Mary are in Japan visiting his mother.”

Danny’s eyes widened in shock. His best friend had never expressed any interest in seeing his mother again after finding her alive in Japan.

“You’re kidding? What brought that on?”

Catherine tipped her head at him and smiled gently.

“Well, I’m not sure, but I got the feeling it was something you said. Before he left Steve told me that while he might never totally understand or accept what his mother did, he had to believe she did what she thought was right.”

Danny grinned and felt a weight lift from his shoulders – a weight he hadn’t been aware he’d been carrying around.

“I’m so glad,” Danny replied softly. “Maybe now the old Steve will come back to us. I’ve missed the insane, reckless idiot.”

**********

“Hey, partner,” a deep, soft voice came from his office doorway and Danny looked up to see a happy, healthy-looking but strangely nervous Steve filling the doorframe. Danny couldn’t help the foolish grin that spread on his face.

“Hey, Super SEAL.”

Steve grinned just as wide and Danny realized with a start that the Commander had been nervous about his welcome to Danny’s office. Wanting to put his best friend’s fears to rest once and for all, Danny came out from behind the desk and strode over to Steve wrapping his arms around the taller man’s waist and hugging him tightly.

Steve froze for a heartbeat before he enveloped Danny in his arms and seemed to curl into the smaller man’s body. Both men stood like that for several moments not speaking and unconcerned about what the cops around them must be thinking.

When the two stepped apart Danny was a bit surprised to see moisture in his friend’s eyes. His big, tough SEAL wasn’t as big and tough as he’d like everyone to believe.

“What are you doing here?” Danny asked playfully, wanting to lighten the atmosphere. “I didn’t think you’d voluntarily get this close to a pile of paperwork.”

Steve rolled his eyes and walked into the room to sit down in chair in front of Danny’s desk.

“I was just up visiting Chief Makaha. He tells me Lieutenant Pali is due back at work on Monday.”

Danny nodded as he sat down in his own office chair.

“Yeah. Her maternity leave is over.”

“So…” Steve began, his nervousness back. “What are your plans after that?”

Danny chewed his bottom lip and dropped his eyes as he fiddled with a pen in his hands.

“I’m uh…there’s actually an opening for a Lieutenant in narcotics. Lieutenant Osborne retired and the Chief says--”

“No!” Steve blurted angrily. 

Danny looked up in surprise.

“No?”

The SEAL shook his head decidedly. 

“No. Enough of this Danno. It’s time for you to come back to Five-0.”

“Steve--”

Steve leaned forward in his chair until his hands were gripping the edge of Danny’s desk.

“Danny, we need you. We miss you. I miss you. Five-0 is not the same without you and, I know I probably shouldn’t say it, but I’m not sure I even want to continue doing this job without you as my partner.”

Danny swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

“Steve…” he began again.

“Danny please, don’t make me beg. We need you babe, and you need us. We’re your family Danny and it’s time to come home.”

Danny snorted and huffed out an exasperated laugh.

“Jesus, Super SEAL. If you’d let me get a word in edgewise I would tell you that I’ll be there first thing Monday morning.”

Steve’s grin increased the room’s brightness level noticeably.

“Yeah? You will?”

Danny grinned back.

“Yeah, I will. Someone has to look after your sorry ass. Besides, there’s probably six months’ worth of paperwork waiting there for me!”

Steve grinned wider and shrugged his shoulders as he relaxed back in the chair.

“Yeah, at least that much. What can I tell you, Danno? We can’t function without you.”

Danny threw his hands in the air in mock disgust and Steve settled back in his chair as Danny wound himself up for a long overdue rant. Fuck it was good to have him back!

The end.


End file.
